The Assassin (2015)

Often, we hear, regarding a film, that the screenplay was not tidy, the story was non-existent, the pacing was slow et cetera. Why yes, the story of the film is very much the crux of any film, it is, however, possible to achieve greatness without much of a story per se. Hou Hsiao-Hsien's The Assassin not only makes that possible but becomes a marvel at it. It is the sheer beauty of each frame that makes you forget about the story. Each frame, in itself, is a story. You do not mind the snail's pace of screenplay as you do not want the frame in front of your eyes to pass. You gorge them. This rare feat makes The Assassin one of the truest visual poetry.For it is poetry. Most of the time we treat the film like a novel. Films are indeed often a visual mean of storytelling. In that regard, it becomes as engrossing as a great story should be. But, films can be a mean of poetry too. Poetry need not have three acts, great characters or a fine climax. Poetry is a beautiful encapsulation of moments, that is to be felt. Hou's The Assassin is just that. However, it doesn't mean that there is no premise whatsoever for the film. There is. Based on a martial arts story by the same name as our protagonist, this wuxia fiction set in 8th century Tang dynasty is centered around the titular assassin, Nie Yinniang. In the very first wonderfully shot black and white couple minutes, we were shown Nie Yinniang's capability as well as her humane side. Upon this, she was sent, as an attempt to strengthen her resolve, to assassinate the governor who was her cousin and also once betrothed.The tale is told with touch of magnificence. Director Hou's vision seeps in each frame of the film. As a result, the viewers would also be immersed, if they have the patience for it. By now, it is quite evident that the cinematography of the film is drop-dead gorgeous. Mark Lee Ping Bin's camera performs a key role in the muted yet enigmatic atmosphere of the film.The film is as well shot as it is well acted. Shu Qi, as the protagonist Nie Yinniang, was pivotal in her performance as the film centered around her character. Her nuance is instinctive, movements swift and emotions passionate. She depicts the conflict within Yinniang as deftly as she does in the orchestrated fighting sequences.The Assassin is a visual masterpiece, a glowing example of art-house cinema.

I had been looking forward to getting a chance to watch "The Assassin" (aka "Cìkè Niè Yinniáng") ever since 2015. Why? Well, because I am fan of Shu Qi, and the synopsis of the movie did sound appealing, and having Shu Qi play an assassin, what's not to like?I will tell you what's not to like. The soul-crushing slow pace of this movie. It takes director Hsiao-Hsien Hou ages to get from point A to B, and even then there are detours and more slowed down cinematography. Even something as simple as panning the camera down from a ceiling to the street takes ages!I managed to get about 22 minutes into the ordeal that was "The Assassin", then I just simply gave up from a combination of frustration with the slow pace of the movie, the equally slow storyline, and the fact that the movie was just entirely disheartening.There were some really great shots and some display of fantastic cinematography in the little of the movie I managed to suffer through. And they really managed to establish a good environment and a believable atmosphere to the age in which the movie was set to take place. And the costumes and props were also quite good and realistic, adding so much detail to the scenes.As much as I enjoy Shu Qi and her movies, then I am not even going to bother with returning to "The Assassin" to give it a second chance and finish the remaining 80 minutes. This was just too artsy on an excruciating level. This movie leaves you bored to tears. I really like the movie cover, because it looks so nice and makes this look like an interesting movie, but covers can be deceiving.This ordeal of a movie scores a meager two out of ten stars, solely based on the impressive visuals and because Shu Qi was in it.

The Assassin is promoted as a martial arts film, which is extremely misleading, as we see very few fight scenes. Shu Qi is the lead as a female killer, Nie Yinniang, in seventh century China. She was given to a nun as a small child, and after some unseen battle training returns to her birth place to kill corrupt political and military leaders. Qui is stunning and the cinematography breathtaking; first in black and white with shadows, an obvious Citizen Kane influence, to magnificent color shots of pastel looking silk finery and opulent palaces. The problem is the slow pace and somewhat confusing story line. Viewed as a visual piece, it succeeds, but I would have preferred a more clear cut theme. I will still recommend The Assassin for the beautiful Shu Qi, and the richness of the scenery.

Hou Hsiao-hsien's "The Assassin" is a very introspective, metaphorical and philosophical wuxia movie that requests a lot of patience from its audience. It's more like a slow-paced historical drama than anything else. It's comparable to Wong Kar-wai's episodic, mysterious and sophisticated "Ashes of Time". Both movies received critical acclaim by intellectual movie critics but were mostly despised by regular audiences. Since the trailers aren't very helpful, potential viewers should read a handful of critics and make themselves familiar with other works of these particular directors in cases like "Ashes of Time" and "The Assassin" before watching such a film.There are less than a handful of fighting scenes and only a few secondary murder scenes in the movie despite its title and those scenes are not necessarily spectacularly executed.The movie doesn't have a lot of continuous dialogues but the few words that are spoken are meaningful and help the audience to understand the twisted story that unfolds slowly but surely. A lot of things are explained through facial expressions, still lives and symbols of nature which aren't always obvious to understand. The movie is so slow yet precise that it requests a lot of attention and maybe even multiple viewing to fully grasp its content. The acting performances seem restricted and wooden at first sight but turn out being extremely precise and talented since the characters are all very emotional behind a veil of traditional discipline. The challenging acting performances, the calm camera work, the colourful costumes, the accurate dialogues, the diversified landscapes and the atmospheric soundtrack all add to the guiding line of this unusual film which deals with characters who are restricted in their traditional laws, rules and values but who are longing for emotions, freedom and individual fulfilment. From this point of view, the movie is more than a simple period drama and has a modern message that suggests that individual liberty is a greater good than governmental conventions. It might not come as a surprise to you that this seemingly traditional movie was made by a director who has rather identified himself with Taiwanese culture, history and values. This film seems to offer much more than meets the eye.If you are willing to look beyond the slow mood in beautiful pictures, you will discover an inspired and profound movie which offers a lot of food for thought. If you are looking for memorable entertainment, you will definitely not like this movie. I admit that this film is hard to digest and I couldn't watch this kind of cinematic art on a regular base but I appreciated the movie's hidden messages or at least my own interpretation of the ambiguous content and its coherent yet unique style. It was the director's goal to make its audience think on its own and while two of my friends who watched this movie found it dull, pointless and pretentious, I accepted, elaborated on and ultimately enjoyed its challenges.